Longest-Running Popular Movie Franchises

'Star Trek'

No. of Films: 11 The “Star Trek” franchise originally started as a television series in 1966. The Gene Roddenberry-created series garnered a strong fan base and movie executives decided to give it a go on the big screen. The first film installment, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” debuted to audiences in 1979 and was an instant success. A total of 10 films, with another in production, have been added to the franchise, including the J.J. Abrams-directed “Star Trek” in 2009. “Star Trek Into Darkness,” also directed by Abrams, is expected to hit theaters in 2013. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Paramount Pictures)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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'Resident Evil'The “Resident Evil” film franchise, which consists of five movies starring Milla Jovovich, has grossed more than $675 million worldwide. The movies, which began with 2002’s “Resident Evil,” are adapted from a popular video game of the same name. The most recent installment, “Resident Evil: Retribution,” hits theaters this weekend. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Columbia Tristar Pictures, Screen Gems)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Rocky'No. of Films: 6 How many times does Rocky Balboa have to get knocked out before he quits? Sylvester Stallone has starred in six “Rocky” movies, the first of which premiered in 1976. The latest installment of the boxing saga came in the form of 2006’s “Rocky Balboa.” Overall, the franchise has grossed more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: MGM)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Star Wars'No. of Films: 7 George Lucas' "Star Wars" is one of the most popular and highest-grossing film franchises of all time. The first film, "Star Wars," was released on May 25, 1977, and six others have followed in its path, including the 2008 CGI film "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Lucasfilm)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Police Academy'No. of Films: 7 The "Police Academy" cadets have kept audiences laughing since 1984. There have been seven installments in the franchise, including 1987's "Citizens on Patrol" and 1994's "Mission to Moscow." An eighth movie, directed by Scott Zabielski, is expected in 2013. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Warner Bros. Pictures)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Batman'No. of Films: 8 The first-ever full-length Batman movie, titled “Batman: The Movie,” was released in 1966 and starred Adam West as Batman. Tim Burton picked up the franchise again in 1989 with Michael Keaton as the caped crusader. “Batman Returns” followed in 1992. Val Kilmer took over as Batman in 1995’s “Batman Forever,” but was quickly replaced by George Clooney in 1997’s “Batman & Robin.” The latest installments in the Batman franchise, starting with 2005’s “Batman Begins,” were directed by Christopher Nolan and starred Christian Bale. Nolan’s final contribution to the series came earlier this year in the form of “The Dark Knight Rises.” —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Warner Bros.)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Harry Potter'No. of Films: 8 Harry Potter and his pals brought magic into the lives of audiences eight times. The films, which are based on J.K. Rowling’s immensely-popular book series, follow the story of Harry, Ron and Hermione as they fight to save the wizarding world from the evil Lord Voldemort. Rowling wrote seven books in total, but the final installment was split in two on the big screen. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Warner Bros.)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'The Three Stoog...No. of Films: 8 Moe, Larry and Curly are quite popular with movie audiences. The first “Three Stooges” film, titled “Have Rocket, Will Travel!,” hit theaters in 1959. Seven more Stooges movies have been made, including this year’s “The Three Stooges,” which starred Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, and Will Sasso as the famous trio. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Columbia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'American Pie'No. of Films: 8 The original "American Pie" film hit theaters in 1999 and took audiences by storm. The raunchy teen comedy, centered around a group of high school friends from western Michigan, was a box office hit. Three sequels have been made so far, including 2001’s “American Pie 2,” 2003’s “American Wedding” and this year's “American Reunion.” In addition, four straight-to-video installations were produced from 2005-2009. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Universal)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'A Nightmare on ...No. of Films: 9 Freddy Krueger has been terrifying movie audiences since 1984. The original "Nightmare on Elm Street," which debuted in 1984 and starred a young Johnny Depp, was a huge hit. The franchise has been pumping out slasher films ever since, including 1994’s “Wes Craven's New Nightmare” and 2010’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” the most recent installment. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Halloween'No. of Films: 10 A total of 10 slasher films have followed the story of the murderous Michael Myers, who began his spree with 1979’s “Halloween" starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her first major motion picture. Rob Zombie recently brought Myers back to life in 2007 with his version of “Halloween,” and again in 2009 with “Halloween II.” —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Compass International Pictures, The Weinstein Company)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Star Trek'No. of Films: 11 The “Star Trek” franchise originally started as a television series in 1966. The Gene Roddenberry-created series garnered a strong fan base and movie executives decided to give it a go on the big screen. The first film installment, “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” debuted to audiences in 1979 and was an instant success. A total of 10 films, with another in production, have been added to the franchise, including the J.J. Abrams-directed “Star Trek” in 2009. “Star Trek Into Darkness,” also directed by Abrams, is expected to hit theaters in 2013. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Paramount Pictures)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Friday the 13th...No. of Films: 12 The horror genre is obviously known for its long-running franchises. The “Friday the 13th” series consists of 12 movies, which nearly all follow the terrifying villain Jason Voorhees. The first movie, titled “Friday the 13th,” debuted in 1980. Sequels such as 1986’s “Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives” and 2002’s “Jason X” followed. The most recent installation is the Marcus Nispel-directed “Friday the 13th,” which premiered in 2009. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Paramount Pictures)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'The Land Before...No. of Films: 13 Littlefoot won the hearts of audiences in 1988 with the first installment of "The Land Before Time," an animated flick executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Twelve equally adorable movies have followed. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Universal)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'James Bond'No. of Films: 23 The first James Bond spy flick, “Dr. No,” hit theaters in 1962. Sean Connery portrayed the Bond character, a suave MI6 agent who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Five other actors have played Bond in a total of 23 movies, including Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, the most recent star. The newest Bond flick, “Skyfall,” opens in October. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: United Artists) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

'Godzilla'No. of Films: 28 Godzilla first appeared on the big screen in 1954’s “Godzilla,” a 95-minute film that took Japan by storm. The country has produced a whopping 28 movies, all following the giant sea monster, the latest of which premiered in 2004. Sony Tristar released an American version of the series starring Matthew Broderick in 1998, and Legendary Pictures recently announced plans to add yet another movie in 2014. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Toho Company Ltd.)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.